


Where angels fear to tread

by rmc28



Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Spoilers for Iron Man 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-27
Updated: 2013-04-27
Packaged: 2017-12-09 15:53:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/776000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rmc28/pseuds/rmc28
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SPOILERS FOR IRON MAN 3.</p><p>The man was an idiot, thought Pepper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where angels fear to tread

**Author's Note:**

> Full of spoilers for Iron Man 3. I saw the film last night and this jumped into my head over breakfast this morning.
> 
> Seriously, lots of plot spoilers. 
> 
> You have been warned.

The man was an idiot, thought Pepper. He knew, _everyone_ knew what Tony was capable of: what he'd done when kidnapped and held in a cave by terrorists; what he'd done faced with aliens and a nuclear missile threatening Manhattan. But Killian hadn't learned. He thought destroying the Malibu house would stop Tony. He thought kidnapping _her_ was going to give him _control_ of Tony.

As if it had ever gone well for people who threatened what Tony thought of as his. 

And she was Tony's, as he was hers. Infuriating, terrifying Tony, who gave her his company and didn't tell her he was dying, who tried to call her before he flew into a black hole, and hid from nightmares by burying himself in his workshop. Who thought a remote-controlled suit was an acceptable way to welcome her home. Whose first thought when they were attacked had been to bring the remote-controlled suit around _her_ \- as her first thought when the roof fell in was to protect _him_.

So Killian thought she was his leverage and his trophy. So much for the fine words about her authority as a CEO, already undermined by his blatant flirtation during that meeting. And _yes_ she had been flattered, but that would never have affected her business judgement. Did Killian think he was the first to try seduction on the new Stark Industries CEO? He hadn't learned from his failure there. He captured her, inflicted Extremis on her, and was trying to use her against Tony. He was such a fool.

Stark Industries didn't make weapons any more. Tony did. Tony made weapons out of everything around him: media interviews, missile parts, an ancient arc reactor, Pepper herself.

Pepper waited in her cage, confident that Tony was coming, and noting everything she would need to take down AIM once she was free.

 

****

The man was an idiot, thought Tony. He thought Pepper needed improvement. He thought she was some kind of reward for beating Tony, top the leaderboard, blow up the President, take the girl. He shot Maya just for defying him, as if people were interchangeable parts in his machine. Another person killed that Tony couldn't save.

(And yes, Tony used to be like that, had in fact created Killian's animosity by acting just like that. If Maya was his reflection as a weapons-maker, Killian was his reflection as a massively arrogant idiot who thought he ruled the world.)

There was never such a glorious sight as Pepper taking down Killian. She used Extremis and the suit like she was born to it, borrowing Tony's trick with missile and repulsor after seeing it just _once_ while under fire. She was glorious and amazing, and he adored her.

Pepper had him covered.


End file.
